Mormon Helping Hands (Sep 2011)

The young single adults in our ward decided to do a yard work
service project for victims of the flood. They contacted nurseries
and collected donated supplies and they came and asked us what
our yard wish list would be. Then one Saturday they showed up
with lots of helpers and worked for hours making our lawn more
beautiful. Kind acts like these really meant so much to us as we
were trying to get back on our feet.
 
During the flood clean up all of the furniture and garbage
got piled outside on everyone's lawns. Then a week later
huge tractors and dump trucks came and scraped it all up
and hauled it off, along with the top layer of grass, so new
turf was definitely on our wish list. (Look at that great sun
flare, here are a few more shots with it.) Varian had wanted
to have them tear out our elephant palm tree, but I love it
and couldn't bear to have them do it. It was only a foot or
two tall when we moved in and has grown up so strong
and healthy. I am a sucker for palm trees as well and to
give one up seemed just cruel.  

Here's a golden cane palm tree that we planted years ago
and I don't know if it has even grown at all. Poor thing.
Our soil is pretty terrible here, but one thing that has
taken off is our passion fruit vine. Yum!!!

Back to the main post theme. They brought in bark for
our gardens, and we did a massive weed job, and laid
down newspapers and then bark on top. Then they
planted a fox tail palm tree and some flowers. In our
back yard they built a box garden and filled it with
lovely sod.

They worked so hard and got so much done. We were
so grateful for their generosity!!! Here are a few other
pictures of that day. 

And then before ending here are two last shots of
plants in our garden. We've enjoyed having a bird of
paradise, and I had high hopes for our Scarlett
Bougainvillea before discovering that it grows giant
spiky thorns that make it hard to trim and seems unideal
for a yard with small children. We pulled it up and
planted it in the back fields behind our house where
we hope it will take root and one day be filled with
pretty flowers.

Again a big thank you to these young single adults,
the nurseries and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints for making this happen. We are so so grateful!!!